NEPC, PHCCIMA partner on non-oil export promotion

•Group seeks revival of dedicated trade port
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has expressed commitments towards advocating better policies on promotion of exports while improving measures in creating an enabling business environment for the private sector to thrive.

The body has also promised to partner and encourage members of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) to process; package and export value added products and locate viable markets for their products.

Besides, the chamber has reiterated the need for reactivation of the Port Harcourt Port which was built over 100years ago for export of coal and agricultural produce like oil palm and shipping.

According to the chamber, “we want to urge the agency to prevail on the federal government for policy changes that would reactivate the port and also promote inland water transportation”.

Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo represented by a Senior Director, Olajide Ibrahim made this assertion when the PHCCIMA business delegation led by its president, Dr. Emi member-Otaji visited NEPC office in Abuja.

The executive director promised that his agency will enlist PHCCIMA on the foreign trade mission list, provide the chamber with list of exportable products, products map, destination of products map and export incentives when operational, even as he urged PHCCIMA members to take advantage of the Zonal NEPC Office in Port Harcourt.

Ibrahim commended the PHCCIMA business delegation stating that the NEPC holds the private sector on high esteem and believes the private sector should dictate the pace of the economy.

He said NEPC was established to promote the growth of non-oil exports and to assist in the development of export oriented industries for the economic diversification of the country.

PHCCIMA President, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji said the visit to NEPC was premised on the need to familiarize with the activities of the federal agency and to seek ways of collaborating and partnering with the agency to achieve the objective of export promotion and import substitution.

Similarly he said it was geared towards exploring the exportable opportunities of the agency and seeking for opportunities beyond oil.

He explained that PHCCIMA members are ready to diversify from oil and gas into other sectors of the economy due to the dwindling profile of oil revenue, which has affected PHCCIMA members’ businesses adversely.